Rolling ball and like game or game apparatus



Feb. 20, 1923. 1,446,288.

M. M. DESSAU.

ROLLING BALL AND LIKE GAME 0R GAME APPARATUS.

FILED JULY 25(1922.

v Patented Feb. 20, 1923..

hurrah stares raar MORLAND MICHGLL DESSAU, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

ROLLING BALL AND LIKE GAME 0ft GAME APPARATUS.

Application filed July 25, 1922. Serial No. 577,471.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MORLAND MIoHoLL DESSAU, a. citizen of the United States of America residing at London, England, have invented Improvements in or Relating to Rolling Ball and like Games or Game Apparatus, of which the following is a speci fication.

Many games are known based upon the skill of a manipulator to cause a ball or globule of mercury for example to travel over a surface to an appropriate goal and the object of the present invention is to introduce into such games an artificial difficulty which calls for a display of greater skill than heretofore in accomplishing the desired end without resorting to the artifice of providing for such surface a support of an undulating or other form of irregular character, such as have been proposed, to simulate the laying out of a. golf course for example.

For this purpose the invention consists in the employment of a surface rendered uniformly uneven by means of irregularities adapted to divert the travel of a ball or the like from a straight path in its progress thereover on account of the variation encountered in proceeding from a number of different points to a given point, success being dependent upon the initial direction selected for the travel from the different starting points.

Such a surface is conveniently obtained by employing a sheet of rubber formed with a series of more or less pronounced protuberances which result in a roughened or uneven surface which imparts a bias to the ball or the like in its course.

These protuberances may be produced by the intersections of straight or curved ridges in differently arranged series which ridges are formed upon the rubber sheet in any suitable way.

Whilst not so limited the invention is particularly applicable to the so-called game of clock golf. In the case of a table game of this kind played with miniature clubs a circular mat may be employed of the kind referred to having a central hole and a number of appropriately numbered starting regions at the periphery of the mat. Such an example is illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, Fig. 2 being a view to a larger scale of the surface thereof. In this case a is the hole and b a series of twelve starting regions or tees which advantageously are spaced apart so that a directional line proceeding radially from the hole 0 to each starting point or some thereof may represent a path of certain chosen difficulty. For use on the floor with ordinary golf clubs a similar mat may be employed, its size shape and the magnitude of the pro tuberances being modified to suit require ments.

The rubber of the mat may conveniently be treated by the Peachey cold vulcanization process.

A surface constituted in this or an analogous way may be employed where manipulation of a base is necessary to advance a ball from one point to a chosen goal or where a base is say rotated roulette fashion to impart motion to a. ball.

What I claim is r 1. A device of the character described comprising a support having a uniformly uneven surface produced by irregularities formed therein, a goal point and a multiplicity of starting points irregularly spaced each from the other also formed in said surface, the irregularities therein being adapted to divert the travel of a rolling element thereover from a straight path between the respective starting points and said goal, the influence of directional movement of said irregularities upon the rolling element in progress over said surface if impelled from said starting points toward the goal, differing, each from the other, and the successful attainment of said goal by the rolling element from any starting point depending upon the initial. direction in which the ele ment is impelled.

2. A game mat comprising a support having a uniformly uneven surface produced by irregularities formed therein, a ball receiving recess and a series of ball teeing regions also formed in said surface, the latter being radially disposed from the former, the irregularities in said surface presenting paths of differing character offering variable directional influences upon a rolling element when impelled in the path represented by a straight line from each of said teeing regions to said ball receiving recess.

3. A game mat comprising a circular support having a uniformly uneven surface produced by irregularities formed therein, a central ball receiving recess and a multiplicity of ball teeing regions also formed in said surface, said regions being radially disposed from said recess and irregularly spaced apart each from the other around the circumferential edge of the mat.

4;. A device of the character described comprising a circular india rubber mat provided With transverse intersecting series of ridges to produce a uniformly uneven surface, a depressed goal point and a multiplicity of ball teeing regions radially disposed therefrom formed in said mat, the intersecting ridges in said surface forming paths of varying character radially projecting from said goal point and offering directional influences of variable character upon a rolling element when impelled from any starting point toward the goal, the success ful attainment of the goal by said rolling element being dependent upon the initial direction in Which it is impelled from the end of any given path, substantially as de scribed.

Signed at London, England, this 12th day of July 1922.

MORLAND MICHOLL DESSAU. 

